Lao and US officials join representatives of HALO Trust for a group photo at the ceremony where additional funding of US$15 million for the unexploded ordnance clearance programme in Savannakhet province was announced on Friday.

United States boosts explosive clearance in Savannakhet with extra US$15 million

The United States is providing an additional US$15 million to The HALO Trust’s unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance programme in Savannakhet province, reinforcing its decades-long commitment to help Laos address the legacy of war.
The additional funding was announced at a ceremony in Savannakhet province on August 7, and the event was attended by Lao and US officials along with representatives of HALO Trust.
More than five decades after the end of the Second Indochina War, legacy UXO continue to endanger lives and limit opportunities across Laos. Millions of unexploded cluster munitions remain scattered across the country, making it one of the world’s most heavily contaminated nations per capita.
The extra funds will enable the world’s largest humanitarian UXO clearance organisation, The HALO Trust, to accelerate the safe removal of lethal explosives, helping to protect communities, make land safe again for farming and infrastructure, and support the long-term development of one of Laos’s worst-affected provinces until September 2027.

Michelle Y Outlaw makes a statement during the ceremony.

The United States has long supported Laos’s efforts to address the legacy of war. Through sustained investment, it is helping people farm, build, and live safely, as well as helping Laos meet its clearance obligations.
The Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the US Embassy in Vientiane, Ms Michelle Y Outlaw, said in a statement: “These efforts have delivered impressive results – in 2025, HALO Trust cleared nearly 1,000 hectares. To put that into perspective, that’s about the size of 1,400 football fields.”
HALO Trust has been working to detect and destroy UXOs in Savannakhet province since 2012. With the inclusion of the most recent funding extension, the total support provided by the United States over the past 14 years now totals US$89,268,495.
Since then, HALO Trust has cleared more than 63 million square meters of contaminated land and detonated or disposed of over 145,815 unexploded devices, weighing a total of 204 tonnes.
The latest funding from the United States will see HALO Trust clear a further 14 million square meters of high-priority land littered with cluster munitions, and 45,000 square meters of landmine-contaminated land, benefiting more than 62,000 residents.
It will also support the survey of at least five million square meters of potentially dangerous land, enable 700 emergency explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) callouts, and deliver 550 risk education sessions to help residents of Savannakhet province recognise the dangers of UXO and stay safe.
HALO Trust’s Regional Director for the Indo-Pacific, Mr Stephen Hall, said: “The United States has been a steadfast partner in helping Laos overcome the legacy of war, and we are incredibly grateful for its continued support. This support will have a lasting impact. It means more families can use their land with confidence and more lives will be protected. We look forward to continuing our work with the United States Government and the Government of Laos to create safer communities and brighter futures.”
The HALO Trust is the world’s largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation working in more than 30 countries, including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Colombia, Angola and Sri Lanka.
The organisation deploys groundbreaking technology in conflict and post-conflict settings to help people rebuild their homes, restore their livelihoods and keep their children safe.
HALO Trust also runs programmes in weapons and ammunition management and safety training. During emergencies, it provides humanitarian aid and logistical support.
HALO Trust was founded in 1988 in Afghanistan and employs 9,000 staff worldwide, recruiting 95 percent of them locally.

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update August 11, 2026)